Media relations raised the profile of a European cloud provider
UpCloud is a Finnish growth company and one of the leading European cloud service providers. It operates 10 data centers in Europe and has a global presence across four continents. The company employs 150 people and serves more than 10,000 customers, many of whom see keeping data under EU jurisdiction as an important strategic consideration.
Before data sovereignty became a national and almost daily topic, UpCloud recognized that the geopolitical landscape had permanently reshaped the market. It was clear that European digital service providers needed to make their alternative known with greater determination and confidence.
To achieve this, UpCloud needed a partner that understood the logic of media relations and could link communication directly to business strategy. They chose Brunnen as their communication agency in Finland.
The collaboration began towards the end of 2025. The first step was to align the communication objectives with UpCloud’s business goals. From there, the work moved quickly into execution: sharpening the core messages, identifying timely media angles and building expert voice in a systematic way.
Results became visible swiftly. Within the first six months, UpCloud’s media visibility in Finland nearly fivefold compared to the six months before the partnership. Compared to the same period a year earlier, visibility was an impressive 15 times higher.
However, the number of media hits was not the primary measure of success. What truly mattered was whether the communication reached the right stakeholders at the right time and in the right context.
UpCloud secured prominent visibility in the top media followed by its key stakeholders – business decision-makers. The CEO’s opinion piece was featured in Kauppalehti, the CTO made a notable appearance on Yle’s morning show, and Talouselämä published articles on the company – just to name a few. Every piece of coverage was earned media.
In the words of UpCloud’s Founder & CEO, Joel Pihlajamaa, the impact has been directly reflected in the business:
“Europe has built its digital house on rented land, but only now are we starting to ask who really holds the keys. As data sovereignty has moved from a niche concern to a boardroom priority, our visibility has grown significantly alongside it. We see the impact directly in our sales conversations: where we once spent time explaining why a European cloud matters, customers now want to know how quickly they can get their projects off the ground.”